Revisiting what should be familiar by now...

First things first - congratulations to Ali, who has become a grandma as of lunchtime today.  Strangely, Sky is missing tonight's rehearsal, though he has been told he should be at tomorrow's script rehearsal. 

A new repetiteur is also here!   Here is a photo of Paul, in traditional repetiteur position, being instructed by both Martin and Trevor (apologies for the usual dodgy iphone photo quality; Steve is bringing his camera next week for some proper photos for the programme, maybe if I ask him nicely...?):

Initially, it's chairs out and sitting in our standard choral positions, rehearsing Sit Down for the first time in ages, mainly because we haven't done it for ages.  As we start to rehearse some of the sections, Gillian arrives with her costume case.  While the singing is done again, Ali and Gillian check out the contents and there are whispered discussions as different outfits are held up and assessed.

Putting together some of the harmonies requires some disassembling/learning notes in individual parts.  For instance, the alto A flat is not to be confused with the note the basses are singing.  The tuned oohs are proving tricky too, both the notes themselves and the duration of some of them.  Several run-throughs unaccompanied except by Martin who is clicking the beat with his fingers, and then the pianist took over again.  Brief interruption as the tenors ascertain exactly which note it is they are supposed to have been singing for the last five minutes...  Then the basses are asked to sing a line without the rest of the chorus, at which point they discovered that the notes written down were different from the ones they had been singing.  It's a case of embedding the line and then adding in one part at a time until they can all manage to sing without being distracted by different tunes!  Especially when it goes weird.  Which it does. There are places when Martin would rather the notes were wrong but confident, rather than right but hesitant, as at least he can hear what people are doing that way and correct it if necessary.  Tenors - it's important you get your oo up.  So said Martin. I don't think it's a euphemism however much it sounds like one.

Then we get to the final rapid section, in which the rhythm goes haywire. It's probably not meant to go actually haywire but it seems that most of the choir haven't realised that the whole piece is in two.  After a couple of times through the ladies, Martin suggests that Paul  should go with the women rather than the conductor's beat. Then it's time to stand up and try from the beginning.  Martin has agreed to panic when we reach the end if necessary but to his surprise it isn't nearly as much of a problem as he might have thought.

Meanwhile in the background there is more costume work going on, with two tables spread out along the back wall of the hall for maximum ease of paperwork.  When we stop the chorus rehearsal and put the chairs away, Gillian takes the opportunity to ask for anyone who needs a Salvation Army uniform to let her know.  My guess is that will be all of them, but I could be wrong.

Then it's back to Runyonland in a rather more fluent fashion.  There are some patchy bits and a couple of people are missing from the stage as far as Ali can tell.  Paul takes advantage of Ali's need to talk to various small groups to practise some of the faster sections of the piece.  Then it's back to the beginning again, including the being quiet bit so that she knows we're ready to start.  Toby tries pretending that he's walking a dog for one of his crossings in his role as bellhop.  This goes sufficiently well that we get into the Tinhorn Fugue (possibly my favourite number!) and Ali looks thoughtful but not furious. When we finish, Ali explains the difference between the actresses, the hotbox girls and the bobby soxers and it's time to do the fugue again with those dancers to make sure they've understood.  It's so much better that they don't need to finish the song (shame!).

Then it's on to Follow the Fold again. This gives Gillian a chance to see who is actually going to need a uniform, before she goes back to discussing Adelaide's various outfits and comparing photos of existing costumes, and making notes with her Assistant Wardrobe Mistress (Victor).  Several rehearsals of the crowd behaviour take place and Ali asks people if they can remember what they are doing as they will next be doing it on October 9th - a subtle reminder to us all that the all-day rehearsal on the 2nd will now be on the 9th.  There was an email about it, so if you didn't receive it...

Now it's on to a rehearsal involving most of the men - The Oldest Established Game.  The rehearsal is improved this week by the presence of Nathan, who tries to complicate things by singing Benny's part in his absence, but Ali tells him not to.  The rehearsal takes place several times before Ali is ready to let the men go.

Chairs are now set out for a return to the cafe in Havana and the dancers rehearse their steps.   Except after a short while, it is noticed that neither Sky nor Sister Sarah are present, and since the crowd take their cues from those two, there's not much point continuing.

Most of the cast are therefore dismissed via the attendance sheet and asked to write down their parts, which turns out to be extremely noisy and time-consuming, given that many of them are multitasking. However, once it calms down a little, Ali is able to rehearse some of the dance steps with the couples who are dancing at the beginning of the Havana scene.   While I didn't get any photos of Ali demonstrating the clench, I did get a few of the dancers in action.  There's dancing,   

 

 tipping of partners,

Paddy concentrating

Mark having too much fun

and then pirouetting: 

That's motion blur, not dodgy-phone blur.

Finally, they are asked to try it sideways, 

 what Ali calls 'hip to hip'.  This allows for more of a swing in the dance steps.  They were still rehearsing when I packed up the last of the coffee and left at 10, so they're probably jolly good by now!

 A couple of missing items are pleaded for at this point.  Lou's score, with its various markers, was clearly taken last week by accident by someone, because they left their own unnamed score behind instead.  Lou still needs it back.  Also, this week, Gillian's thin black cardigan went missing - if anyone picked it up by accident, could they please bring it to the next rehearsal because Gillian wants it back!

Circling Runyonland

After last week's break to rehearse Christmas carols and audition two potential Musical Directors, we were all buzzing.  Or at least very noisy.  Ali had to quieten us down for the first, very important, announcement - there is no rehearsal this Sunday! But there are still rehearsals on the 2nd and 16th October, so be aware. These dates are on the schedule which has been emailed to everyone on the email list.  If you haven't received one, maybe the email address the society has for you isn't up to date!  While we were relatively quiet, there were a couple of other announcements: anyone who is interested in working backstage for Oxford Opera's production of Carmen, let Trevor know.  Finally a plea from Rina - is there anyone who can help put up the banner in Sheep Street/has a ladder they could lend?  We have the banner already, we just need to put it up.

Then the rehearsal proper begins.  Ali wants to start with the men, so ladies go and practise dance steps. We will be doing Runyonland and then Havana, but first a rerun of the Oldest Established Game, since the last rehearsal was missing a few men. Martin is playing the piano this week - Joe has gone up to uni now (good luck, Joe!) and the new repetiteur doesn't begin until October.  The solo line singers are reminded and there is a quick revision of dance steps. One or two men are misinterpreting the single finger gesture and will have to be reined in. It was suggested that I include the choreography of this number in the blog, but that would require more concentration than I can manage in addition to knowledge of how to do choreographic notation. (I suspect also it's so that they don't have to remember what Ali is telling them tonight, but that's another matter.)  But there's a faux walk and then some marching involved as they do good old reliable Nathan. Men are put in their groups, taller at the back, leaning forward with one arm folded behind their backs. Some will be waving wads of lettuce. She said lettuce twice so I'm sure I didn't mishear. Quick run through and some steps done at the same time as singing, so it's a good start.  For reasons that I don't understand, Sally is standing in the middle of the group of men. I will have to find out why later.  I think she might be literally standing in for Nathan, who doesn't seem to be here, but she gives the rest of the men a focal point and a pivot around which they can do their dance.* Still missing one or two others but Ali can work with the group to get the balance right. Marching now in formation.  Busby Berkeley, eat your heart out!  There's forward and back at the same time, then left and right, which the group on the left seem to have come to terms with more readily than the group on the right.  Do it again and try keeping time. Slowed down a bit, it works. At some point they will have to do it faster... But Ali needs them to be better in time so first of all they practise just marching in time. And singing at the same time.  Watching from behind is probably more entertaining than from Ali's perspective. However, we reached a point where Ali cheered slightly so it must have improved. Progress on to the marching around with the final line in this section of the song. This brings us to having the men in a semicircle around 'Nathan' and Nicely. Then the final section choreography is given to them, mostly actions rather than steps. So clearly it's time to run through the whole thing. Which is stopped again after four bars to remind them of the beginning.  The box steps are rather circular in places but they got to the end. Fortunately Martin sang nice and loud so that they could concentrate on the steps. Once more for luck and Martin says he's not going to sing, though he didn't quite stick to it. A little rearranging of where people are standing but we get to the end. They are told to practise the box steps in their groups at every available opportunity. Martin suggests that they all make sure they know all the words - even without the notes - by next week.  Since Ali is telling them to move on certain words, it would make the dancing easier too.

Now Runyonland.  Loud influx of ladies from elsewhere in the building so Ali has to call for quiet. We're going to do it once, Ali says, but Martin would like people to pay attention to the fact that the music has started so the action should also have started, so we end up with at least two starts.  There is immediately plenty of action, probably in mostly the right places, but lots of talking too, presumably as people check with each other when they are supposed to be on. Ali suspects that little step rehearsal has been done outside, hot box girls and bobby soxers not together, not doing right steps. Tourists' feet are right but their heads need to be correct now too.  Again, too much talking. It's a problem I regularly encountered doing school plays but then it was kids - this is adults! It's reassuring that it wasn't just me. It is difficult, however, for people who think they know what they're doing having to stand around while Ali briefs a different group. The two tourists who are supposed to photographing the hookers have a rather salacious smile on their faces!   Questions are asked by cast members around me about Toby's role as he strolls nonchalantly across the stage but he eventually reveals he is a bellhop.  It'll make more sense when he's carrying some props!   Ali's verdict: you're getting better. It's said rather despairingly and she mutters something about needing another six months, but putting a brave face on it, gives some specific instructions to individual groups.  Another run through which appears to the unpractised eye i.e. mine to go reasonably well.  The pickpocket handover yields some laughter but I think they just broke whatever it was they were using as a prop. 

Now, quiet, while Ali talks to us about pre-Communist Havana. The thing is, she says, this was designed for a company that has dancers. Great guffaws. Ali sees the irony.  Some dancers are yet to be appointed; Ali already knows that the hookers will be doing some sort of dance, but quite slowly as they will have bowls of fruit on their heads. More laughter. Sitting at tables in this scene - not the hot box girls, not the Salvation Army band and staff, not the bobby soxers - who's left?  Two men dancers appointed and Ali admits to her bias as she names her choices of Mark and Paddy, but no-one complains.  Hot box girls, bobby soxers, SA - you can go home now.

Now, setting the stage.  Groups of chairs are arranged, people sit and natter and Martin plays the Havana music in the background as Ali double-checks her score for the necessary choreography. Once we're ready to start, people waiting for lifts are asked to wait elsewhere. There's no choreography written down because Ali wasn't sure how many people she would have, but it seems there are lucky thirteen sitting at tables in addition to Sky and Sister Sarah and a couple propping up the bar. The hookers and Paddy take over dancing with Sky and Sarah but at the moment it's all in slow motion. This is just as well as Ali appears to be organising some sort of snowball excuse me in the Cuban cafe which may or may not degenerate into a fight.   This takes quite a while which does at least give Martin a chance to get a cup of coffee. Then it's back to fitting the actions in with the music.  There is some hesitant dancing and the fight starts.  It sort of works but then peters out and Ali briefs them again on the specifics of what each of the standing people is doing.  Start again from the top and Ali watches with a critical eye, pauses them, redirects and then we start again, running through the whole section. Whether or not it goes according to plan I couldn't say, but everyone is on their feet or the floor by the end and Paddy and Luke have a fight that looks incredibly realistic so I hope no-one got hurt.  Ali wants a little more variety in some of the fighting and dancing and then dismisses the rest of the fighters so that she can work with dancers.

At this point, I have a grovelling apology to make. I idly watched the dancers practise their turns and steps and then placed my attention elsewhere, most notably the packing up of the tea-things. So although Ali demonstrated, with Paddy, the clench she wanted the dancers to be doing, by the time I got my phone out, set it to camera and pointed it at the two of them, she had stopped. No amount of persuasion could change her mind. But I have witnesses, she was demonstrating. So perhaps, if you ask her to show you again next week how the clench goes, she might show you and I *might* be able to get photographic evidence.  

*I confirmed later that Nathan was indeed absent and Sally was standing in for him.  But fear not, Nathan will be at tomorrow's script rehearsal!  He's just very very busy. :)

Following (on from last week)

Coffee has now been relegated to a lobby outside the main hall, to keep noise levels down during rehearsal, so some of the beginning is missed as setting up takes place, but the dulcet tones of the music can still be heard. Start with a reprise of the opening number, has everyone remembered what they're doing? Joe is playing the piano this week, so Martin has a chance to conduct. Dancers seem to have remembered more or less what they're doing, and it gets a reprise through to the tinhorn fugue - so our three gamblers have a chance to demonstrate the power of their vocal chords and lungs.  Feedback from Ali: even extras should have a story in their heads, to inform the energy (or lack thereof) in their moves.  Only the hookers and tourists should look tired!  Constant parade of extras behind the singers of the fugue. Brashness and urgency are inbuilt in the American psyche - so here it needs to be added.

That run through done, some finessing. A few notes about temporary props to enable the cast to rehearse more accurately, and then moving on, although this instruction does later result in a copy of Guys and Dolls being brandished in lieu of the Evening Standard.

Follow the Fold is next, so cast need to remember who is Salvation Army. Others will be singing from the wings, but only hardcore SA will be on stage initially and Ali gives instructions about who, what, where and how.  The temptation for those not needed to chatter above a whisper is too much to resist - clearly, they're not the SA members! - and Ali needs to raise her voice a couple of times to reprimand. But generally the hint is taken and coffee is garnered i.e. not in the hall.

Follow the Fold - Martin walks round within the singers to identify which parts everyone is singing and immediately reallocates a new alto to bolster the two that are there (there are sopranos to spare).

After a brief rehearsal, a call goes out for some of the tourists to come and watch the SA Doing Their Thing, so a few coffees are placed carefully on a nearby table in the hope that they remember where they put them after they have finished admiring the Salvationists. A stand is carried on to elevate Sister Sarah as she leads the singing and she does her best to encourage the spectators to stray no more, but the American tourist definitely winked at her as he walked past and did not stop to pray!

The mission band are warned that they may have tambourines to bash, although Agatha tells me gleefully that she will have a triangle.  There is a stern call from Martin to the errant musicians just before the next run through of this section, and then some giggling, so they may have had something even more surreptitious planned that he spotted.  Another run through and the bobby soxers are told to giggle at frequent intervals - can't see that being a challenging part of their role!

A brief break and everyone is summoned back into the hall for Nicky to talk about the arrangements for ordering tickets, which have to be done on the forms that are being circulated.  She has two orders already and will be leaving in 5 minutes if anyone wants to order tickets now.

Also, Martin announces an Akeman concert in aid of Katherine House Hospice on October 8th, the Fauré Requiem and Haydn's Little Organ Mass, with two of our number singing solo parts.

While we're on announcements, Andrew reminds the cast that there is a rehearsal tomorrow at the new Catholic parish hall. There is in fact a rehearsal schedule now but it will be emailed tomorrow, so check your mail (and make sure that BCOS has an up to date email address for you!).

At this point, I had a technology failure. Well, not this point exactly, more at the end, but I inadvertently deleted the additional paragraphs I had written back to this point. Consequently, the rest of the evening's proceedings are rather more précised than I had originally intended.  The moral is probably to use pen and paper in future, but you just know that I won't!  So, what can I remember happening next?

Another run-through from the very beginning.  Ali's verdict: pretty good for a second rehearsal.  There are still notes, of course, but that's the way of things.  Now the ladies leave, so you might think that it gets a bit quieter, but in fact this is not the case.

The Oldest Game is rehearsed next. Some choral stage whispering sends shivers down Martin's spine, but only once they've got it right. Then Ali gets, possibly, carried away.  She gives the men some dance steps. There are a couple of men away this week, but we're sure that they can be slotted in. And then a couple more names are remembered.... Oh, well.  A rehearsal of singing *and* dancing suggests that for some men it might be an either/or position, but who knows what will come with practice. Because you just know that they are going to have to practise that one again...

The Opening Number.

We're back after our summer break and it's Ali's turn to run the rehearsal.  A few chairs are arranged around the edge of the central space to delineate our stage. While Martin tinkles at the notes, members cower near the urn until they are sent elsewhere. The parts people had been assigned previously may not be the same anymore, Ali warns us, some people may have dropped out!

The opening number needs to be staged tonight - Ali spent three days choreographing it, we have 90 minutes to learn it.  Even if it is only 4 minutes on the night.  Some volunteering for characters in opening number, but largely people are expected to remember what they were told before the summer break.  Hands up for a variety of roles, and much laughter at the hookers.  There is one problem, Ali says, which is that she has choreographed it to the band version, whereas tonight Martin is playing the piano version. It *will* go when we have the band version. (She sounds very certain.)

People are coming on from three different directions, which makes it difficult to learn.  Hookers on upstage right, gamblers through the crowds. Hot box girls from stage left, policeman stage left, Texan Americans - in other words, a typical New York mix.  Some movements are dance steps, some just movements. Ali knows generally which actor can cope with which. Trevor is a tour guide, leading on his charges, who semi-shuffle, semi-dance on. There is lots going on at the same time, so they will largely need to ignore what other characters are doing. This applies to everyone on stage in this scene. Lots of talking to the dancing girls about what they're doing, while everyone else has to talk quietly amongst themselves, retaining an open ear for the moment when Ali calls their character type. Or alternatively, if they've already been given their dance, they're practising the dance steps across the middle of the stage area. Meanwhile, Martin continues to practise the piano part in the background and some of the major characters disappear off to rehearse their lines since they know they're not needed yet.  Then there are moments when Ali briefs Martin about the phrases and notes that she needs to be emphasised for the benefit of the cast coming on at that point.

Run through briefly of tourists, bobby soxers and gamblers. Trial run...  Mr Policeman, where are you? A sheepish Mr PC comes forward, having missed his cue and is re-briefed. Second time around, better except the gamblers didn't notice the policeman even though this time he was there. It could be a long evening!

A lot of talking later, and we go from the beginning again. Instructions of 'don't crash' and 'now you' can be heard. After that run, Ali checks to find out why there was, briefly, an empty stage. It transpires that the bobby soxers are supposed to come on twice.  The Texan wife needs to drape herself more for the photographer, Hot Box girls should stand and gossip, and where are the actresses? They'll be wearing as high heels as they can manage, so teeter on and then pose, Hollywood starlet style. They're going to be mobbed by the bobby soxers - where's a photographer when you need one?!   He does get their picture eventually...

Another run through just after some people have assumed there's no break so acquired some coffee.  Unfortunately this attempt kind of collapsed, so we start again after a couple of reminders. 

Bobby soxers need to come on on time - everyone else takes their cue from them, so crucial timing!  The hooker/actress label is briefly confused, to great laughter.  There still seems to be a gap somewhere - Ali may need to put another baby buggy in. Talking of which, does anyone have a Silver Cross pram?

And again, from the beginning. Ali says she is not being too critical of the steps tonight, but will expect them to be perfect when the time comes, like next week. One odd musical cue repeated several times for the benefit of the tourists, but then the rehearsal seems to disintegrate somewhat as more folks stop to get coffee and chat so Ali takes the opportunity to consult with Martin, who will doubtless be pleased when the new repetiteur starts.

Another talk, another run through - and now we have an invisible teddy bear being kissed and a cry of 'More Texans!' Each time we run through, it gets tighter.  There's counting involved now and groups are briefed by Ali as to how long they should wait after an earlier entry, making it all make more sense.  There is now greater clarity within each group despite the repetition that people are having to remember.  Between scenes Ian can be seen skipping across the stage, perfectly coordinated.  What a shame his character won't need to dance like that!

And meanwhile, in the background, Gillian the costumier has been quietly chatting to everyone, getting their measurements and thinking about the costume requirements...

Finally, as the old man is escorted off the stage by the hookers, we have got to the end. Now, from the beginning.  For the first time. A few words of encouragement from Ali along with some notes (i.e. corrections) and maybe we can finish. Everyone is instructed to go home and write down what they are supposed to be doing, because otherwise we know what will happen next week, and it won't be pretty!  And for anyone who missed this week, for whatever reason, good luck.